Stranded Deep
by Wandering Letters
Summary: A retelling of Resident Evil 2 Remake. After making two new friends, Leon and Claire separate to tackle bigger tasks. While Leon and a track runner named Yanni explore the RPD, Claire and Kit, a junior medical student, head to Raccoon City College to answer a distress call from an RPD officer. However... things never go according to plan. Rated M for safety. Aeon. ClaireXOC.
1. Prologue: Signs Of Life

**(A/N): This story takes place in an alternate universe, where the events of Raccoon City do take place, but a few more survivors manage to get out alive and assist Leon, Claire and Ada in their efforts at stopping Umbrella. This is inspired from the remake of Resident Evil 2, so those events are the ones that this story is based on. The story will primarily follow the game, but will also follow the efforts of two other survivors, as they attempt to find their way out of Raccoon City while assisting our usual heroes. This story isn't gonna be huge, probably just a couple of long chapters.**

**There are some differences between the original and this universe to note here:**

**1) The events of the game in this universe will take place over the course of a couple days as opposed to a single night. I never liked the fact that the characters only had mere hours to get that close, so rather than to make it one straight shot, the events will be altered to allow for it to take place over a longer period of time. That means the nuke that destroys Raccoon City, as well as all the other stuff that occurs will happen a day or two later. I decided to take this approach because I wanted more time to develop the relationships between all the characters, especially Leon and Ada (I found it weird how Ada struggled to shoot Leon after only knowing him for a couple hours when she's actually stone cold by default).**

**2) These events will be altered so that Claire and Leon each have another survivor with them to help them through as opposed to going it alone. As a result, much of the events will be modified to accommodate these characters (who are all OCs of mine), but the events will play out largely the same as the game's, in terms of the end result of them all escaping as well as keeping the Leon and Claire interactions intact (along with a few extras).**

**3) Claire and Leon interact a lot more, but in favor of a true friendship rather than the rather cringy flirtation that went on during the game. Now before you Cleon fans start throwing tomatoes, let me explain. I _do_ think they're a better couple than Ada and Leon, but Capcom did the exact thing I predicted they would do: they couldn't decide to stick to one ship. I knew the Leon and Ada moment was coming and the way Ada was with Leon up until the very end was so well done, that I ended up liking the ship more than Leon and Claire for the game (not overall).**

**However, this is mostly due to the fact that Capcom chose to not let Claire and Leon interact much. Had they devoted the same amount of time and interaction between Leon and Ada to Leon and Claire, it would've undoubtedly resulted in a perfect ship. However, they didn't... and that annoyed me to no end. I think if Capcom just chose to focus on Claire and Leon, it would've worked out just as well as their focus on Leon and Ada. They had a chance to build a good romance between either woman and Leon, but they chose to dip their feet in the Cleon Lake but then immediately jump into the Adeon Sea, then coming back out and going into the lake again. This time, we're gonna stick to one ship: LeonXAda. As much as I disliked how Capcom made Ada look like she was using Leon much more in the remake, their chemistry was spot on so I dug the ship even more than I did before. I still like Cleon, but this story sadly won't contain it. Rest assured, a Cleon fic is coming, because I support that ship a lot more romantically!**

**This version of the story takes into account the starting of the Claire A scenario, but will be taking into account elements of both scenarios.**

* * *

**Stranded Deep- Prologue: Signs Of Life**

**~ o ~**

**The Outskirts Of Raccoon City**

_"Man... sometimes I really wonder if people think I'm some kind of trouble magnet."_

"Why does everyone think I'm gonna get in trouble?"

I hung up the phone after having finished that half-annoying, half-hilarious talk with my roommate and let out a sigh of relief. I had finally arrived at Raccoon City, the place where I was sure I'd be able to find my older brother, Chris. I knew that he had gone looking for something, but I wasn't entirely sure what and seeing as he's been gone for so long without even word back, I was the only one who he had to rely on. Yeah, you could say I'm just his little sister, but I'm also a Redfield. We can take care of ourselves, but we're too proud to take help willingly most of the time. Chris was always the strong one in our family and he always thought it was his job to shoulder all the responsibilities, but now that it was just him and I, I felt I had to watch his back too.

I needed answers; he was being very cryptic about all of this stuff to do with his job at S.T.A.R.S and now that I had the means of getting a look myself, I felt I had to.

_"He's gonna be pissed when he sees me... but I need to know he's okay. It's been too damn long since I've heard anything from him."_

Suddenly, a window shattering broke me from my thoughts.

"What the..."

I turned to the convenience store and slowly made my way inside. Of course, it was dark as hell but there was a flashlight on the ground.

"Hello? Anybody here?"

No response... just dead quiet. It was... unnerving to say the least. I continued inside... only to see blood all over the place.

"...Oh my god..."

This wasn't a good sign and I instinctively put my hand to my gun as I proceeded forward, ensuring that the light was enough for me to see far ahead of me. As I got further, I heard the cries and groans of what sounded like a man. I followed the sound... only to see a man bleeding profusely by his neck, on the ground.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?!"

He looked like a police officer from the Raccoon City Police Department, but in the state he was in... it didn't look like he was going to be much of a talker. I suddenly heard yelling towards the back of the store. Though I wanted to help the man in front of me, I needed some answers as to what was going on.

"Wait here. I'll check it out."

The man didn't even seem to pay attention to my words as he continued to hold his neck. I quickly made my way to the back... and I heard rapid growling and shouting. I opened the door... to see that an officer was holding another person to the wall.

"I said hold still!" shouted the officer.

"Excuse me... is everything okay?" I asked.

The officer immediately turned back... and the look on his face told me that he was terrified. So much so that I could see the sheer amount of fear radiating from his eyes. However, he knew that he had to tell me a lie, because his job was to protect the peace and keep everyone's mind at ease.

"Stay back ma'am! I got this!" he said.

However... I noticed that the person he was holding against the wall had managed to break free and before I could even react, he tackled the officer to the ground.

"Oh my god!" I screamed.

The man collapsed fully onto the officer and before the officer could even move an inch, I saw him bite hard into the officer's neck, causing blood to spill all over the floor.

"Help me..." cried the officer.  
"Get off him!" I warned.

I drew my gun immediately and took aim, but the man completely ignored my words and continued to rip the officer's throat out with his teeth.

"I said GET OFF HIM!" I cried again.

The man ripped a large chunk of the officer's flesh clean off and slowly looked up at me... and it was then that I noticed the color of his eyes.

_"...Is this guy dead?! What the fuck is going on here?!"_

He began to get to his feet and I quickly turned the corner, dodging out of his way as I searched for something I could use to escape.

_"...I only have five bullets. I can't afford to use them especially since I haven't reached the city yet... what the hell am I gonna do now?!"_

I ran to the end of the aisle and found a metal cabinet on the wall, which contained a key.

_"Staff entrance... maybe I can use this to open the door over there."_

I turned to the left and saw that there was a locked door, separate from the one I came in through. I waited for my chance and as soon as the crazed man lunged for me, I ducked under him and managed to evade his grab, leaving him behind. I quickly rushed to the door and frantically got the key out to open it. Once I did, I began to make my way to the door as quickly as I could. Much to my horror, more of those crazy things had somehow gotten into the store and I just barely managed to evade one of them, who almost toppled a shelf on top of me. As soon as I reached the door, I immediately noticed that someone had arrived during the time I was inside. The guy opened the door and much to my surprise, raised a gun at me. Immediately, I threw my hands up in surrender.

"Don't shoot! Please!" I cried.  
"Get down!" he shouted.

I did exactly as he ordered and he pulled the trigger, hitting one of the monsters in the head and causing it to collapse harmlessly to the ground. After taking a moment to see his handiwork and realizing that it was likely that the officer that was holding his neck from earlier had likely been killed by those things, I turned back to my savior and nodded.

"We've gotta get out of here." I urged.

He nodded in agreement and turned around, his gun primed to fire as I joined him in examining what had changed outside.

"You alright?" he asked.

I took a deep breath and though it was a blatant lie, I nodded.

"Yeah... I think so. Thanks." I replied.

He turned to me and nodded seriously, though his face was clearly focused on the situation at hand rather than my actual safety.

"You can thank me later... when we're safe." he said.

He then gestured forward and I immediately noticed that all of the commotion had brought a great number of those monsters shambling forward towards us.

"Holy shit..."

They continued to get closer and I knew we had to come up with something fast; we didn't have the ammo or weapons to take any of these things on and it would only be a matter of moments before we were overwhelmed by their sheer numbers. Just as things began to look grim, I heard yelling from inside the store and I turned to see that everyone inside had started to come towards us as well. The man that just saved me then yelled for me to follow him.

I sprang to action, running towards the still running car that was in front of us until one of the monsters got in my way. I shoved it as hard as I could and managed to get into the car. As soon as we locked the doors, the man urged me to brace myself as he peeled us out and started driving towards Raccoon City's limits.

**...**

**One Hour Later- Just Outside Of Raccoon City Police Department**

_"Shit! What the fuck is going on in this city?!"_

I continued to run as fast as my legs could carry me.

_"People are eating people... the whole city in chaos... it's like something out of a nightmare..."_

I stopped to catch my breath upon reaching a relatively quiet place as I looked around for a street sign.

_"Please... tell me I've been going in the right direction..."_

Much to my relief, I had indeed followed the map I had spent so much time studying down to a T; I found the police department.

_"Maybe... just maybe... I can find out what the hell is going on..."_

Suddenly, I heard a loud growl behind me and I immediately grabbed ahold of the crowbar I had in my hand before launching a vicious swing towards its source. I managed to hit one of the monsters hard in the torso, causing it to fall to the ground. Taking my chance, I swung hard at its head before it could get up and succeeded in destroying its head, which was the only way I found was effective at stopping these things. Knowing that it was only a matter of time before more of them came, I dropped the crowbar and continued to run towards the building.

_"I pray to god there are survivors... because the worst thing that could happen is having to go through all of this alone..."_

I continued forward... until I came across what looked like a graveyard.

_"Oh no..."_

It didn't take long for me to start hearing growling. Knowing that the only thing I had left to use as a weapon was my knife, I unsheathed it and began to make my way to the other edge of the graveyard... until I heard a gunshot.

"Stay back!"

I cursed loudly under my breath and turned to the direction of the voice.

_"...She needs help. I'd never forgive myself if I had the chance to help someone and then left them behind. This is no time to be selfish. She could help me figure out what's going on here... and she's probably a far better shot than I am."_

As difficult as it was, I turned back around and made my way through the way I came in and followed the yelling... until I happened into an alleyway, where a woman was running down a flight of stairs. She noticed me mid stride and immediately raised her gun at me. I threw my hands up in surrender and shook my head.

"I'm not one of those things! Don't shoot!" I yelled.

She immediately lowered her gun and looked behind her.

"Run! They're coming!" she shouted.  
"Follow me! I may have found an entrance into the police department!" I replied.  
"Okay! Lead the way!"

I sprinted as fast as I could until I came across the graveyard once again.

"Through here! Quickly!"

The woman ran through the grill and I immediately shut it and bolted it, which I could only hope would hold the infected back.

"Leon... I'm sure you beat me here..." she whispered.  
"Leon? Is he a friend of yours?" I asked.

The woman turned and nodded.

"He saved my life twice so far... just met him an hour ago." she replied.

She holstered her gun and took a deep breath, evidently trying to gather her senses after running for what probably felt like an eternity.

"I... wasn't sure if you were okay. I heard the gunshot and I came running. I'm glad I managed to help." I replied.  
"Thanks... I'm not sure if I'd have made it out of that mess."

She held out a hand, offering me a friendly smile.

"I'm glad you didn't leave me behind... and you are?" she asked.  
"Kit. Kit Matthews." I replied.

She nodded gratefully.

"Claire Redfield."

**...**

**Meanwhile- Inside Raccoon City Police Department**

_"Don't make my mistake... if you see one of those things... uniform or not, you do not hesitate. You take it out... or you run... got it?"_

I followed his advice to a T thus far, and I could only hope that Claire was doing the same thing. As far as I could tell however, she's a tough girl. She can take care of herself, especially if that brother of hers is a cop. Considering that she came here looking for him, I could only assume that he was part of this department, or maybe he was in some kind of special forces unit. Whatever the case was, I knew I had to do everything I could to escape this place.

There was no way any of this was an accident... someone had to have done this to put the entirety of Raccoon City in such a state. All that needed to be done now is to figure out who was responsible for it.

Radio stutter broke me from my concentration and I immediately put the radio to my mouth.

_"Leon. It's Marvin. I need you back here ASAP."_  
"Are you okay Marvin?"  
_"I've got something to show you... it's important."_  
"Copy that. I'll be right there."

I put the radio back into my belt as I took another deep breath. I've managed to make it thus far... but as far as I could tell, the only survivors here were Martin, Claire and I. It was nauseating to even think about the fact that there's no one else left alive here... not even officer Elliot who I failed to save under the shutter when I first got inside here. All I could do now, was figure out a way out of the station and I felt as if I was getting close to it; the underground passageway just needed something to activate the mechanism. Once I got that, we'd be home free assuming we could make it through the tunnels.

_"I hope Martin can last that long... that wound he has looked pretty bad."_

A loud yell suddenly broke me from my journey forward and I turned to the direction of it.

_"That sounded like it came from the armory's direction... but I was just there a few minutes ago. How could anyone have gotten in there?"_

I took my shotgun out and made my way back to its direction. I hoped that what the lieutenant had to show me could wait just a few minutes. I ran straight through the passageways, satisfied that there were no more monsters that got inside and the ones that did, I already dealt with. It was exhausting... and I knew that I was running out of steam. If this person was a survivor who could help me, maybe I could actually have a moment to catch my breath; it feels like I've been running for days even though it's only been a little more than an hour.

I arrived at the armory, and much to my astonishment, there was indeed someone inside... fighting off a zombie. I fastened my shotgun around my back and took out my Matilda before entering the room. The person who was yelling, was just barely holding the zombie at bay with a pipe.

"Get down!" I shouted.

The man immediately noticed my presence and kicked the zombie off of him as hard as he could, giving me the space and opening to fire and take the zombie down. Now that I had pulled the trigger and made so much noise, it was only a matter of time before more of those things showed up. However, I managed to save someone. I approached the man and held a hand out to him.

"You alright?" I asked.  
"Yeah... thanks to you. Appreciate the help."

He took my hand and got to his feet.

"What's your name?" I asked.  
"Yanni Wilsam. You are?"  
"Leon Kennedy."

He looked at me for a moment and sighed deeply.

"You're not infected... here I thought everyone in this city was one of them. Are there any other survivors?" he asked.

I shook my head and sighed deeply.

"Apart from someone who's still out there and the lieutenant in the lobby... I'm not aware of anyone else. I just got here a bit more than an hour ago." I explained.  
"Shit... here I was hoping that things weren't as bad as they seemed." he replied.

I shook my head and turned around to the entrance to the room.

"Are you good to move?" I asked.  
"Yeah. Where are we heading?" he replied.  
"Back to the lobby. It's better if we stay together. You're not hurt or anything are you?"  
"Not at all. Legs are just killing me from running. I've been pretty lucky so far I'd say." He replied.  
"You any good with a gun?"

He shook his head.

"Shot one a couple of times at most. I've been throwing objects at them and swinging for the head with anything I can use like a weapon." he explained.  
"Well, you're gonna have to learn. It's the most effective way of dealing with these things. One clean shot to the head and they're down for the count. Here, take this."

I handed one of the pistols I found off a dead officer as well as a few clips of ammo. He reluctantly accepted the weapon from me and after ensuring it was loaded, he nodded.

"Alright Yanni. I know you didn't expect any of this to happen tonight... but if we stick together, we have a shot at getting out of this alive." I said.  
"Let's hope so... my family's back home in Canada and my little sister needs me." He explained.

Recalling all of the files I read on the desks of everyone in the office building... I clenched my gun tighter and gritted my teeth. Whoever did all of this, killed so many people and ruined so many lives... and Yanni was one of the few who managed to survive the initial outbreak.

"We're gonna get to the bottom of this and whoever did this, is gonna pay." I said firmly.

He nodded as I led him towards the lobby.

"Let's make it quick." I urged.

**...**

**A Few Minutes Later- Outside Of Raccoon Police Department**

"Save your ammo Claire. There's too many of these things. We have to hope that someone saw us on that camera."

I nodded and holstered my gun as I reached for a shovel off the ground.

"Here they come." I nervously gasped.  
"We're faster than them. Remember that." said Kit.

It completely baffled me as to how he could remain so calm in such a situation, but I took a deep breath and steeled myself as we continued forward towards the half a dozen zombies blocking our way. Kit managed to find a machete when we searched the graveyard for anything we could use and thus far, he's put it to very good use, effectively killing any zombie that came his way with very accurate slashes and efficient strokes to decapitate them. After seeing Leon shoot the zombie back at the convenience store, I determined that the best way to deal with them was to either destroy the brain, or take their head off entirely.

"You ready for this?" He asked.

I nodded firmly and he moved forward to the first zombie. He swung hard and managed to lodge the blade deep into the head of the monster, easily busting through the skull and slashing deep into the brain. A mess of blood and gore fell from the blade and he quickly shoved his foot into the zombie's stomach, ripping it out messily as he regained his balance. As I predicted, the other five turned and began to shamble toward him. I swung my shovel and managed to knock one of them off their feet and during the time I took to do that, Kit managed to evade getting cornered and moved to safety where he began to work on another zombie. I immediately raised the shovel and smashed it down onto the face of the zombie I just grounded, but it wasn't enough to destroy the head. After taking another deep breath, I hoisted the bloody gardening tool and slammed down hard once again. The sound of blood splattering as well as a skull splitting indicated that I was successful with the second blow.

I jumped over the downed zombie and swung at another, clipping it hard in the leg and causing it to fall to the ground.

"Claire! Behind you!" He shouted.

I barely got a chance to turn around as one of the zombies had somehow managed to get over the fence and had closed the distance. I didn't even get a chance to raise the shovel half way up before it tackled me.

"Claire!" shouted Kit.

I heard Kit's frantic sprinting as I struggled to keep the zombie from tearing my neck out. A few heartstopping moments later, Kit managed to get to me and he kicked the zombie hard in the head, sending it reeling from off of me and rolling onto the floor. He quickly took my hand and helped me up as he panted heavily.

"I hope that friend of yours gets here soon. We aren't going to last much longer." he said.  
"He has to have seen us by now... he's on his way. I know he is."

I immediately grabbed my shovel firmly and looked ahead.

"Three more to go."

I swung once more, clobbering one of them hard in the torso and causing it to fall to the ground. Kit immediately shoved the machete deep into its head, finishing it off. However, he didn't get to pull it out before another zombie managed to grab him. Thinking quickly, I removed my combat knife and threw it towards him. He noticed my actions and he just barely managed to catch it in one of his hands before plunging it deep into the neck of the zombie. It was evidently enough to finish it off as it went immediately limp, falling harmlessly from its previous deathgrip. Kit removed the knife and quickly repeated the process with another zombie while I finished off the one I just knocked down with another vicious slam to its skull, smashing it like a melon. I then quickly ran for the machete and swung hard, wedging it deep into the last zombie's neck. I quickly kicked it hard, freeing the blade and knocking it to the ground as I stabbed it as hard as I could through the neck, finishing it off much in the same manner as Kit just did with the knife.

"...Good job. Thanks for the save." he said.  
"...No problem. Where'd you learn to fight like that?" I asked.

He shook his head and sighed.

"Self-taught mostly. My father was a marine and he trained me even though I just wanted to be a doctor." he replied.  
"...Is that why you stabbed them in the neck?"  
"Destroying the brain is the best way we know of to stop these things but I deduced that severing the brain's link to the rest of the body would work just as well. Stabbing them at a specific point in the neck severs the brain stem which means they have no control over anything. Instant death." he explained.

I smiled and nodded.

"Glad to have you at my side. I would never have known that." I replied.  
"I wish others knew... there may be more people alive if they did."

I sighed deeply and nodded in agreement. However, I broke from my thoughts when my eyes caught sight of a light... moving. I ran up to the gate.

"HEY!" I shouted.

The light moved around once more.

"LEON?!" I shouted again.

It took a moment, but the very same face that saved me about an hour ago... was very much there. I couldn't describe how happy I was to see that he was okay.

"CLAIRE! HOLD ON! I'LL BE RIGHT THERE!"

Unable to contain my happiness, I couldn't help but smile brightly.

"OK!"

Leon took a few moments and I noticed that someone was following him. A man probably about his age, maybe a couple years older who also had a gun on his belt. He didn't look like a cop however, and I inwardly sighed in relief that there were other survivors besides us around. I frantically tried to open the gate, but it wouldn't budge. However, Leon arrived and put his hand to the gate.

"Claire... it's so nice to see you."  
"How're you doing? That helicopter just came out of nowhere..."

Kit soon made his way over to me and Leon noticed him before smiling.

"Who's your friend?" he asked.  
"This guy saved my ass earlier when I got surrounded. He's a medical student who just so happens to be really good at kicking ass." I explained.

He looked at Leon and nodded.

"Kit Matthews."  
"Leon Kennedy."

The man who followed Leon downstairs noticed me and smiled.

"I take it she's the one you came in with?" he asked.  
"Yeah. Told you she's a tough girl." replied Leon.

The man nodded at me.

"Yanni Wilsam. You must be Claire. Leon told me a bit about you on the way here." he explained.  
"Yeah... things have been pretty rough thus far." inferred Kit.

I sighed deeply.

"Yeah... but we're all in one piece." interjected Leon.

I looked down at the lock to the gate and took a breath.

"I'm guessing you don't have a key in one of those fancy pockets?"  
"...Unfortunately no. But how are you doing?"  
"You know... just surviving."

I could almost feel the disappointed look from Kit's eyes from my almost dimwitted response. Leon however, didn't really seem to take it as such and he smiled at me.

"That's good. Any luck with your brother?"

I sighed again, greatly disappointed that my search had amounted to nothing.

"No... not yet." I replied.

Leon's face immediately turned to deep concern and this was probably one of the reasons why I felt so at ease around him; he was a good man. A genuinely good man. Chris would've liked him if they ever met... assuming he didn't kick his ass for "hitting on his baby sister".

"Claire... don't lose hope. I'm sure we're gonna find him-"

An explosion turned all of our attention away from the conversation as the helicopter had somehow caught aflame. Leon growled loudly and my hand instinctively went to my gun.

"Damn it... you know what that means." growled Leon.  
"...Yeah. Dinner time."  
"You two need to go." urged Yanni.  
"We can't go back that way. There's too many of them... let me see that lock." said Kit.

I got out of his way as he knelt down. He smiled and reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be some lockpicking tools.

"I can get this open. Cover me." he requested.

Leon pulled out his gun as did Yanni and I.

"Will do... make it quick. We don't have a lot of ammo." said Leon.

The zombies started to swarm the fence, but Kit calmly went to work as we kept our guns up. Several zombies came shambling forward, awakening from their dormant state as they made their way towards me. Leon shot one of them clean in the head, dropping it to the ground instantly. Thankfully, we didn't have to use much more bullets until Kit finished, opening the gate.

"Everyone inside, quickly. Let's regroup at the foyer." said Leon.

Kit and I ran inside as Leon shut the gate bolted it. Before he could turn to go back inside however, I grabbed him in a deep hug. He returned it, laughing softly.

"Come on. Let's get inside and come up with a plan."

**...**

**Fifteen Minutes Later- Raccoon City Police Department, Foyer**

"So that's the only shot we have huh? That underground passage?" asked Yanni.  
"Seems that way. I'm surprised at how elaborate this place is. It's a far cry from any police station I've ever seen." replied Leon.  
"So what do we need to open the mechanism? That notebook said something about that big statue up there right?" asked Kit.

Leon nodded, but shook his head.

"I've had to go deep into the station to find all this stuff... but those things keep coming." he explained.

Claire sighed deeply and shook her head.

"If all of us go in there, it'll give us much more to worry about. Maybe there's-" she began.  
"Wait. It sounds like... a distress beacon?" inferred Marvin.

He turned back to the laptop he used before to identify Claire and Kit's situation outside and after a bit of slow typing, the screen displayed a small map of the city, with a red dot flashing over an area.

"It's coming from... the college?" mused Leon.  
"There must be an officer over there who survived... because only they know the frequency to reach here. Someone's still alive out there." said Marvin.

Leon clenched his fists and nodded.

"Then I'm going to help him." he said.

Claire shook her head.

"No Leon. You need to figure out how we're going to get out of here. You've made a lot of progress and I haven't exactly caught up yet." she explained.  
"Then what're we gonna do? We can't just leave them there to die." he snapped.  
"I'll go. I'll be back before you know it." she said.  
"HELL NO. It's too dangerous Claire!" he snapped again.

Kit stood next to her and nodded.

"Then I'll go with her. I've been to the college numerous times and I know how to get there from here without a map. I'll guide her there and back." he said.  
"...This has bad idea written all over it." said Leon.  
"She's got a point Leon; you and I have been through most of the station already so it makes sense that we continue our search. You said it yourself: she's a tough girl. And from what I can see with Kit, he'll watch her back." interjected Yanni.

Claire put a hand on Leon's shoulder.

"I'll get them back here. I'll be gone for a couple hours at most. From what I can see, this room is pretty locked down so if you figure everything out, you can just wait for us. We'll keep in radio contact in case of anything." she said.

The rookie sighed softly, but finally nodded before handing her some clips of ammo. He then turned to Kit, before handing him another pistol he recovered from a dead officer. He then pointed to the desk.

"There's some body armor over there and some other gear you can take. You know how to use a gun right?"  
"She's a much better shot than I am, but I do yes." he replied.  
"You know how to take those things out?"  
"...In more ways than one."

Kit nodded and went to the desk to gear up. Leon then turned back to Marvin.

"How long do you think it would take for them to get there and back?" he asked.  
"A couple hours at most. I have no idea how the roads are considering all this chaos... so I'd leave room for a good while. If they move quickly, they can make it back here before morning." replied the lieutenant.

Kit returned, ready to go as Leon placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Take care of her Kit. I'm counting on you." he said.  
"I'll do my best. We'll be back as soon as we can. If anything comes up, you'll hear from us... stay safe." replied the medical student.

Claire loaded a clip into her pistol, and turned back to Leon, a serious look on her face.

"Hey... let's get through this. All of us?" she said.  
"We're gonna make it." he paused to look at everyone present before looking back at his new friend. "All of us."

After giving Leon one last hug and giving the others a firm nod of determination, Claire took off towards the college, with Kit close behind.


	2. Chapter 1: Trapped

**(A/N): Hope you guys liked the prologue. It's been a while since I've posted thanks to real life getting in the way. Yes I know I have a lot of projects I need to finish but I tend to write things as I'm inspired. Now that I have a lot more free time, I fully intend on taking on some of my unfinished projects and even modernizing some of my old ones in my current style and level.**

**That being said, I initially wanted to do an alternation style fic, where I would swap duos with each chapter. However, I realized that since Leon has to rely so much on his cutscenes to get his moments with Ada, I opted to just swap perspectives as necessary. Claire's got it a little easier seeing as I can easily create scenes with Kit but for Leon, I'm gonna try to keep all of the content in the game intact, while adding and subtracting as I see fit. I'm gonna do my best to keep it true to the game though guys.**

**And yes, once again, there's _no_ Cleon in this fic. Rest assured though, I'm still very much a fan of the ship so I'll probably do a one shot, maybe a two shot for them to make up for its absence here. Right now, it seems that everyone had someone around for them: Chris has Jill/Sheva, Leon has Ada/Helena/Hunnigan, Billy has Rebecca... but Claire had Steve and well, we all know what happened to him.**

**Claire's the only RE protagonist who doesn't really have anyone there for her, so I decided to create an OC who can serve as someone to watch her back as well as just being there for her. I've always thought that Claire should've really ended up with Leon, but that was until I played Resident Evil 4 and 6 and saw how Leon felt about Ada. Seeing as Leon and Claire barely got to interact, the ship didn't really go anywhere but rest assured, I feel for the Cleon fans as I am myself one. Just for this story, we're going with Aeon.**

**Anyway, I've rambled enough, back to it.**

* * *

**Stranded Deep**

**Chapter One: Trapped**

**~ o ~**

"How close are we?" I asked.  
"Almost there. Just past this block... but we need to be careful; the college was one of the densest places in terms of population... there's no way in hell it'll be easy to get inside." replied Kit.

I nodded and stuck close behind him as we made our way through the streets, ensuring to avoid zombies wherever we could. Because he knew the streets so well and because he was also aware of all the alleyways and shortcuts, it barely took us thirty minutes to get this far and we didn't have to exert too much effort in taking out the infected. It was horrifying however... to see just how many people had died as a result of this outbreak. Whoever the hell did this... was a whole new level of evil. How could anyone justify destroying an entire city like this.

"Claire? Are you alright?"

I shook my head, breaking from my thoughts as I nodded at Kit.

"Yeah... I'm okay. Just still a little shocked that the city is in such a mess." I replied.  
"...Once we get this person back to the station, we can try and figure out what's going on. I have a sinking feeling that this has something to do with Umbrella Corporation." he said.

I raised an eyebrow.

"The pharmaceutical company?" I asked.  
"The very same. My father was a part of the company, which is how I got my medical background going in the first place." he replied.

I gasped audibly, but Kit nodded and sighed.

"I had no interest in joining them. I just wanted to be able to help people, so I decided to dedicate my life to that purpose."

I smiled and laughed softly.

"That's really admirable. My brother's a cop and he wanted to carry on the Redfield tradition of serving. That's sort of why I'm here." I explained.

The medical student turned back to me and smiled.

"He'd be proud of what you've accomplished since you've been here." he mused.

For some reason, his compliment made me feel all warm inside. Maybe it was because he just managed to remain calm and positive, and he had a knack for knowing just what to say. Whatever the reason, I was very grateful that he came and helped me... and that he volunteered to follow me to the college; I honestly had no idea if I could've done it on my own considering the odds... and how tired I am.

"Thanks Kit..."  
"Anytime. We're here by the way."

I looked up to see that the large sign for the entrance to the college... was destroyed. And just as we predicted, the place was crawling with zombies. However, it wasn't as much as we thought it would be.

"So... any ideas of how we're gonna get inside?" I asked.  
"There's an opening in the fence over there. It should be big enough for us to fit through." he replied.

I looked to where he pointed and just as he said, there was a large hole, about big enough for either of us to crouch and squeeze through. We made our way over to it, ensuring to be as quiet as we could to not attract any of the zombies. He stood up and took out the gun that Leon gave him earlier.

"You first. I'll watch your back." he urged.

I nodded and made my way through, though it took a few moments to clear the bent up chain links. Once I got through, I took out my gun and beckoned him inside. He quickly made it through before pointing towards the building.

"The distress beacon looks like it came from the library. It's at the back of the campus near the dormitories." he explained.  
"Then we'd better get moving. Hopefully, there's somewhere we can hole up for a little while." I panted.

It was then that Kit noticed how tired I was and he immediately stopped leading to pause.

"If you need a moment, you can take a rest. You've been running all night, much more than I have." he said.

I shook my head, determined to continue.

"When we get inside and find somewhere where the dead people can't get to us, then I'll take a moment... just lead the way." I ordered.

His face softened, his hazel eyes scanning me for what seemed to be any sign of physical discomfort and though he clearly saw it, he sighed and shook his head.

"If you stop to catch your breath, I'm not moving until you take a few minutes. If you collapse, I know I won't be able to protect you if we're overwhelmed... so slow it down okay?" he urged.

His voice was gentle and for some reason, I knew things were going to be okay. I surrendered to his request and followed him, ensuring to pace myself. I took out the radio and called Leon.

_"Claire. How're things_ going?"  
"We made it to the college. Nothing we couldn't handle so far... how're things on your end?" I asked.  
_"Yanni and I are searching through the offices. We already dealt with everything inside so there's no need to worry."_ he replied.

I sighed in relief; things were going just fine for them.

_"Claire. Listen to me. There may be more of those things... but there's another one out there that's different than the zombies... be careful."_  
"What do you mean different?"  
_"It's **really** fast... it's got blades for fingers and it can crawl on walls and ceilings. It looks disgusting... and they can use their tongues like some kind of chameleon out of a Freddy Kruger film."_  
"Oh my god..."  
_"They have a weakness; they're **completely** blind. If you can make very little noise, they won't be able to find you. And aim for the brain if you have to take one down... **don't miss**."  
_"Got it. Thanks for the tip."_  
"Be careful Claire. Call me if anything comes up."  
_"Will do, take care Leon."_  
_

I put the radio back into my belt as I continued forward with Kit, until we came upon what seemed to be a courtyard. And much to our dismay... it was crawling with zombies, most of them eating what I presumed to be dead students who didn't get the chance to mutate. I nearly vomited at the sight of it, but Kit was immediately at my side, caressing my shoulder in an effort to keep me sane. It still amazed me as to how he could bear the sight of all of this without losing his cool. I think the only time I've seen him even remotely lose his composure was the very same moment he came and saved me. I wish I had his kind of unfaltering bravery, but all of this... dead people coming back to life to eat other people, monsters that have blades for hands... all of this was so much to process and I had no idea if the next moment was going to be my last.

"Are you alright?" he asked.  
"Yeah... I think so."

He then pointed to the large building, which was behind all of those zombies.

"That's the library. It doesn't look like it got too damaged so a lot of it may still be intact." he mused.  
"Yeah... but we have to get past all those zombies. I don't see a way around them." I retorted.

He nodded in agreement as he looked around, evidently trying to come up with a plan. Seeing as he's spent such a long time here, he was probably better suited for the task than I was.

"The only entrance to the building is through the front door because I highly doubt the staff entrances are unlocked; they're manual after all."  
"Damn it... I don't think it's a good idea to fight those things head on." I groaned.  
"And even if we do, if too many of them come after us, they can probably destroy the glass out front with their weight... this is a lose-lose situation." he continued.  
"We're gonna have to distract them, make them go somewhere else so we can get inside." I said.

Kit closed his eyes and sighed before getting to his feet.

"I'll distract them and lead them over to the dormitories. Get inside and find that officer. Take some clips." he said as he handed me three of them.

I shook my head vigorously.

"_**No way**_. That's too dangerous. What if you get surrounded?" I demanded.  
"I'll take cover inside of the dorms. I'll call you when I'm clear so you can go." he replied.  
"No! The dorms are probably crawling with those things! You're out of your mind!"

He clenched his fists and shook his head.

"The longer we sit here, the less of a chance that person has... you're the better shot and you're in no condition for an extensive run. I can buy you the time you need to get in. Let me do this for you Claire."

I bit my lip and shook my head vigorously, only for Kit to give me a reassuring smile.

"I'll be fine Claire. I'm only a radio call away... trust me?" he asked.

It took a great deal of effort, but I finally surrendered to his idea and nodded.

"You call me the moment you're safe. And don't you **dare** go anywhere else... you got that?" I growled.  
"You have my word. Wait here until I get their attention."

Before he could go off, I grabbed his arm. He turned back, only for me to pull myself into an embrace. I had no idea why I was overcome with so much emotions... maybe watching that cop get his throat torn out was what caused me to be so scared for him... or maybe I just didn't want to lose a friend.

"Be careful Kit... _**please**_..." I begged.

He returned the embrace and nodded against my shoulder.

"I will. I _promise_."

He let go of me and after giving me one more reassuring smile, he set to work, raising his gun and firing off a single shot. It had the desired effect; the vast majority of the zombies in the courtyard were drawn to the sound and starting making their way over to him.

"Over here you monsters! Dinner's over here!" he yelled.

I waited for most of the zombies to follow him and once the coast was clear, I took off into the building, thankful that the front doors weren't electronically locked, which allowed me to enter with ease. Now... it was just a matter of finding the officer.

**...**

**Ten Minutes Later- Inside The Dormitories**

_"Guess I'm thankful that the students don't spend all that much time in the dorms. I haven't come across too many zombies in here. I better find a place where Claire and I can hole up and make sure the path is clear for her when she finds the officer."_

It was... strange. I just met her a few hours ago and yet still, I was already willing to risk my life to keep her safe.

_"Guess my mother and sister are right; I'm just a big softie even though it's not my intention to be one."_

I finally managed to find the student lounge, which was a room with only one entrance due to the steel shutters over the windows not allowing anything to get inside and the door being the only other way in. It was empty... and thankfully, not blood-soaked like the rest of the building. I had to put down a few of the students, but now was a time that I was grateful that there wasn't exams coming up or something to bunch everyone together.

The next question on my mind was just how this outbreak started. Was it some kind of virus? If it was, how did it spread so fast that it dismantled the entirety of the city within a couple of days? If I stayed home, would I have been infected too? So many question rolled into my head and I had to stop and calm myself in order to prevent myself from losing my composure.

For once, I was glad to have stayed out of the city because if I had... I may jolly well have ended up like all my colleagues here.

Satisfied with the place I found to take refuge, I took out the radio and dialed in Claire's frequency... only to hear several gunshots go off. I looked outside and through the glass entrance to the library, to see that they were coming from inside, as there were flashes of light. I waited for it to die down... and one everything became silent, I immediately put the radio to my mouth.

"Claire. Claire can you hear me? Are you okay?" I cried.  
_"Kit! I was getting worried... are you okay? Are you safe?"_

I let out a deep sigh of relief and tried to calm my racing heart.

"What was going on with those gunshots? Did something happen?"  
_"You need to know this Kit. There's some kind of monster roaming around the place... I had to take two of them out just now. They don't have any skin and can crawl on walls and ceilings. Whatever you do, **don't** engage them and stay quiet; they can't see you. I don't think you're a good enough shot to hit them in the brain, because it's their only weak point."  
_"Shit... alright. I'll keep my eyes open. There seems to be emergency power still left in the building, so I can lower the door shutters to be safe."  
_"Good... that's good to hear."  
_"Any luck with the officer?"  
_"Not yet. I just finished searching the ground floor, I'm moving upstairs now."  
_"Claire... be careful. Those gunshots gave me a heart attack... I got very worried." I gasped.  
_"I'll be careful... sorry for worrying you. I'll call you soon... okay?"_

She was really trying to calm me down, because her tone sounded extraordinarily gentle. It worked relatively well as I managed to clear my thoughts enough to get a grip on my composure. After taking another moment to get some much needed air, I put my mouth back to the radio.

"...Alright Claire. Be safe. Let me know when you find them."  
_"Will do."_

I put the radio down and started looking around for things I could do.

_"I'd better put the time to use... maybe I can find something useful in the dorms. At the very least, it would be wise to wash all this blood off of us because god knows what these monsters have inside of them... maybe I can find some food for us as well."_

I looked around for a moment until I smiled when I saw a vending machine... with an actual lock.

_"Jackpot..."_

* * *

**~ o ~**

**Meanwhile- Inside The Library**

_"Good... he's safe. Now I can focus on the search. He wasn't on the ground floor... maybe he's up here?"_

I carefully made my way upstairs, ensuring to keep my steps light and slow in case of any Lickers. After getting inside, there were actually quite a few zombies, but they were preoccupied with their own lunch, ignoring me for the most part. I was thankful that Kit gave me the three clips of ammo; I needed it in order to take down those two monsters that got in the way of the escalator. It was... grotesque to say the least. Leon's advice ended up helping me a lot... but it took several shots instead of just one or two like the zombies. Whatever the reason was, I knew that I needed to stay clear of them from now on or I risked getting infected myself.

I looked through each of the aisles, finding the occasional zombie but I made sure to not disturb them as I continued my search. After ensuring that none of the aisles had anyone in them, I made my way to what looked like a staff area behind a receptionist desk. It was here... that I heard buzzing, like a radio static. I quickly entered the room and followed the sound to a door that was cracked.

I entered the room, to find the floor littered with the corpses of five zombies. Ahead of me, was a man dressed in the RPD uniform. He was gripping his arm that was bleeding profusely, evidently not having the strength to patch himself up. I could only imagine what happened here earlier before I got here.

"Hello? Officer? Are you alright?" I asked.

I scrambled to his side and he smiled, blood running down his mouth.

"Good... someone got the distress call... that's very good..." he sighed.  
"Come on. We're getting out of here. Can you walk?"

He shook his head slowly.

"I'll slow you down... besides, it's already over for me. I got bitten twice by those things... if you were twenty minutes earlier, then we might've had a chance. But I know how this shit works... I saw someone I know turn right before my eyes after getting bitten." he replied.  
"No... don't say that. There's got to be a vaccine or something we can use." I mused.

He shook his head and laughed softly.

"What's your name little lady?" he asked.  
"Claire. Claire Redfield." I replied.

His eyes widened for a moment.

"Redfield... so you're Chris's little sister?" he asked.

My eyes widened and I immediately crouched down next to him.

"You know my brother?" I asked.  
"Shared a beer or two with him a few times. Swell guy if a little bit too serious sometimes." he replied.

I laughed at his description; that sounded just like Chris, always taking his job a bit too seriously.

"I'm Officer Robert Bartley. Nice to meet you... and man, he never told me how pretty you are."

I blushed at his compliment and nodded appreciatively.

"Listen to me Claire... you've got to get out of here and get back to the station."

He reached into his belt and pulled out a flash drive. His eyes looked to one of the corpses, which was a woman who didn't look mutated at all.

"She got bitten... and she asked me to put her down before she turned... it was the most difficult thing I've ever had to do." he explained.

I swallowed hard and felt my heart sink... yet _**another**_ casualty of this mess.

"There's power in the dormitories... you need to send these files to Marvin... I found these off one of the soldiers in the courtyard. I started taking a look at them in the computer room here in the library... but the power went. Please..."

He then handed me the flash drive before holding onto my forearm and nodding.

"It contains a lot about the shit that's going on here... and it could help take down the bastards behind this mess." he said.  
"Who... who's behind this?!" I cried.  
"It's not clear... it sounds like the work of terrorists... I don't know why they did it **now** and to _**this**_ city... but this all seems to be some kind of terrorist attack... now... I don't have much time. Get out of here before things get worse."

I drew in a deep breath and nodded. The officer handed me his gun and all of the ammo he had, as well as his radio for extra batteries.

"...Do me a favor... and make sure I can't turn into one of those things... please..."

I took the gun in my hands, feeling sick to my stomach as I raised it to his head. He smiled at me and nodded.

"Thanks Redfield... take care of yourself and good luck."  
"...Goodbye Officer Bartley."

I swallowed hard, feeling nervous and torn as my finger struggled to pull the trigger. The officer shook his head and smiled.

"It's okay little lady... I lived a full life. I managed to save people and I served in the police department for eight years. I don't have anything left because both my wife and daughter died thanks to this mess... just finish me off. Avenge them for me..."

I closed my eyes tightly and finally managed to pull the trigger and the sound of blood splattering all over the wall, indicated that I had done what he asked of me. I took a moment to gather my resolve, fighting the urge to vomit as I had just killed a man who could've potentially been saved. If I had been faster... maybe I could've saved him.

_"Damn it... **DAMN IT!**"_

After ensuring everything was securely my holsters and belt, I put the radio to my mouth and dialed Leon's frequency.

"Leon... it's Claire."  
_"You don't sound too happy. What's going on?"  
_"Officer Bartley was the one who send the distress call... he's dead."  
_"...Shit..."  
_"He gave me something. I'm going to get inside the dormitories because it's one of the last places in this city that still has power. Is Marvin in earshot?"  
_"Yeah he can hear you."  
_"Bartley gave me a flash drive that has a lot of dirt on the people who may be behind this whole mess. I'm heading to the dormitories to send them to you." I explained.  
_"No... you have to get back here. It's too risky to get in there." _ordered Martin.  
"Kit already got inside and he'll guide me to him. Besides, if something happens to us on the way back, you'll never get your hands on these files... so let me do this."

I heard Marvin sigh deeply but he finally relented.

_"Alright. Call us back when you get to a computer. Be careful Claire."_  
"I will. Any luck with the mechanism Leon?"  
_"It needs three medallions. Yanni and I managed to find the first one." _he replied.  
"That's good... so you're just catching your breath?" I asked.  
_"Came back to check on Marvin." _replied Leon.  
"Good... I'm glad you're all okay. Hopefully,  
_"Likewise. I'll head back inside and see if I can find the other two medallions. Yanni's tired and needs a break... don't take any unnecessary risks Claire... okay?"  
_"I'll be careful... see you three soon."_  
_

I started making my way outside as I dialed Kit's frequency.

"Kit. Is everything okay?"  
_"Still safe and sound in this room... but we have a problem. Let me know when you get to the building. Look for a window with a half open shutter."  
_"What's the problem?"  
_"The zombies have crowded up around the entrance to the college. We can't get out of here unless they go somewhere else because there's no way in hell that we have enough ammo to take them all out."  
_"**SHIT.** It looks like Leon managed to figure out the mechanism... they're waiting for us to get back."_  
"They're going to have to bide their time until we can get there because there's just too many of them... there's no way in hell we'll get around them unnoticed. We'll discuss a plan with the others when you get here. Hurry, I managed to tie some sheets together so you can climb up."  
_"Okay. I'll be there in a minute."

I replaced the radio and moved fast; Leon and the others needed to know what was going on but Kit's safety came first for the moment.

_"If he raised one of the shutters to give me a way in, that means that one of those crawling monsters could get inside... the less time I expose him to danger, the better."_

I hastened my pace and made my way outside, thankful that none of the zombies decided to crowd around the escalator or at the door. However... upon reaching the courtyard, much to my horror... a lot of them came back. It looked like Kit's distraction only managed to keep them away from here for a short time and during the time I was inside, they wandered back.

_"Shit... there's no way I'll be able to sneak past so many of them... I'll have to run for it."_

I radioed Kit once more.

"Kit. The zombies are back... I won't be able to sneak around."  
_"I can come back down and-"  
_"No. If one of those crawling things hears the gunshot, they're going to come running and it'll make things more complicated... can you lower the sheets from the window?"  
_"What's the plan?"  
_"I'm going to make a run for it and climb up as fast as I can."  
_"Are you **insane**? That's two floors up!"  
_"I'm not letting you come back down here and risk getting spotted by those things... just trust me." I urged.

He was quiet for a few moments until I heard him sigh.

_"Alright... but I can at least throw some firecrackers down there to get their attention. To distract some of them at the very least."  
_"Do it. I'm coming right now."

I cut the call off and looked at the building, searching for the sheets and just as he promised, there was a long rope of bedsheets, going towards the ground. Once it reached, I shone my flashlight towards the window, indicating that I was ready to go. He picked up on the message as in the next moment, I saw something fly through the window. A few seconds later, firecrackers started filling the air with noise. Just as we'd hoped, the zombies stopped what they were doing and made their way towards the sound, though some of them remained, still feasting on corpses. I steeled myself and after a deep breath, I took off into a sprint. I rushed past all of the zombies as they started to get to their feet and shamble after me. However, much to my horror, one of the monsters showed themselves and was now running at me.

"Claire! Stop running!" shouted Kit.

I stopped and kept as quiet as I could, causing the creature to become seemingly confused as it searched for a source of sound to follow. I looked up and saw Kit throw another set of firecrackers, this time into the zombies coming up behind me. I smiled at the genius of his idea; the monster wouldn't be able to tell the difference between me and the infected. The moment the explosives landed, I moved out of the way as quietly as I could.

**POP POP POP!**

The monster took off, running straight past me and once it reached the source, it started to swing its claws in a mad frenzy. Some of its swings struck the zombies, lacerating most of them while knocking some of them down. However... much to my disgust, the zombies turned their attention from me and started going over to the monster, grabbing at it as if it were the new main course. I took the chance to make it to the wall, where I started climbing up. From what I could tell, Kit was bracing it himself as his head was leaning out of the window. It was difficult; all of the equipment I was carrying made it hard to make progress. However, once I cleared about half way, I felt the sheets behind pulled inside. I braced my grip and allowed it to carry me upwards until it stopped, just short of the open window. I immediately grabbed onto it and before I could pull up, Kit was there with helping hands. He hoisted me inside and quickly pulled the sheets inside before shutting the window. He then approached a circuit breaker in the corner of the room before pressing a switch, causing the shutter to close back down.

I panted heavily, completely out of breath but thankful that I managed to make it without anything going wrong.

"...Close call." he said.

For some reason, I was absolutely elated to see him and I couldn't help but throw my arms around him and squeeze him tight. Evidently, he wasn't sure how to respond as I felt one of his arms awkward wrap around my waist.

"Glad to see you too." I said.  
"Are you alright?... There's a **lot** of blood on you." he said.

I leaned off of him and shook my head.

"None of it's mine. I had to deal with some of those things during the search."

Kit cleared his throat before handing me a bag.

"It would probably be wise to wash yourself off; since this seems to be some kind of infection, it stands to reason that bodily fluids is a way of getting infected." he explained.

I raised an eyebrow.

"...There's **still** clean water in this place?" I asked.  
"Yeah. One of the students had a microscope in his room and I decided to catch a little of it and have a look. It's completely clean... no foreign organisms or anything." he replied.

I sighed in relief, though I was puzzled as to why he bothered to go through all that trouble.

"What else did you find?" I asked.  
"Food, drinks and I arranged the furniture if you need to get comfortable."

I smiled at him and shook my head.

"Quite the gentleman aren't you?" I teased.

The medical student closed his eyes and shrugged as he beckoned me to follow him. After raising the shutters to the lounge, he led me down the hallway until we reached a bathroom, complete with showers. Surprisingly, it was largely untouched though it was clearly a little dirty since no one's cleaned it in about a week. I then looked at the bag.

"What's in this?" I asked.  
"Clean clothes and toiletries... I'm sure something in there will fit you."

I laughed softly, imagining the embarrassment he must've gone through in searching the dorms for clothes for me. He must've been as red as a tomato when he got into their underwear. Then again, he had two sisters growing up... maybe he's not as clueless as I thought he was.

"Thanks Kit... this was really thoughtful of you." I mused.  
"I'll get some food started. You must be hungry after all this."

I laughed again, suddenly realizing how empty my stomach felt.

"Yeah... I haven't eaten since I arrived at the airport this morning." I chuckled.  
"I'll see what I can come up with... though it's likely going to be ramen." he said with a shrug.  
"That's fine. I'm used to living off that stuff."  
"Alright. I'll see you in a few minutes."

Seeing a prime opportunity to tease him, not to mention being curious, I stopped him by clearing my throat and smiling at him.

"So... how did you know the sizes I wear?" I asked.  
"I took a gue-"

Just as I hoped, he started blushing upon realizing what he was about to say. He shook his head and turned away.

"...Just took a guess." he finished.  
"So... you've been checking me out have you?" I teased.

He didn't even respond to me as he took his leave. Satisfied with my mischief, I stepped into the bathroom, ensuring to leave the door cracked in the event of anything bad happening. After placing down all of my gear, I removed my jacket before staring at it.

_"Chris gave this to me... I guess it really **is** lucky considering all of the shit I've managed to get out of since the start of the night... no way in **hell** I'm throwing this away."_

I folded it up and placed it on the sink as I stripped down to my underwear. Now that I looked at myself, there really was a lot of blood all over me. I guess he was right; better to be clean and safe than to be dirty and sorry later down the line. I was thankful that I didn't get any cuts... the only thing that really bothered me was a bruise on my shoulder from hitting the car in the tanker explosion a few hours ago when I arrived with Leon. After removing my underwear, I took out a washcloth and some shower gel and took whiff of the bottle.

_"Cherries... did he somehow know that this is my favorite scent?"_

Snickering to myself at the new material I had to tease him with, I stepped into the shower and started to wash myself, _**thoroughly**_.

**~ o ~**

_"We managed to find a place where we can lay low for a while... at least we can catch our breaths now. Hopefully, Claire can get some rest; she's gonna be vital in getting back to the station once we find the opening."_

I continued to boil the noodles and looked to the bottle of water that I opened.

_"There's no way in hell that I'm using any water bottled up by this city. For all I know, this virus was spread in that way. I imagine that the rats around here helped spread it... but the only logical way that the entire population would've been infected is if it got into the water supply."_

More and more ideas as to how the infection worked poured in.

_"Maybe... maybe it was in the water supply. It would explain how not many people noticed the initial outbreak and it would also explain why there were people who didn't mutate. I've always drank the water that my mother sends me... so maybe that's a reason why I'm not walking around and eating people? This thing has to be some kind of virus... because there's no way someone could go from being perfectly healthy to practically undead so quickly..."_

I turned off the heat on the hot plate and poured the noodles into the broth I managed to put together with the ingredients I found around the dorms. After stirring the noodles up with the broth, I placed it down along with a bowl of rice and a TV dinner I found in the freezer.

_"It's not much... probably won't taste all that good either. But it should do. Good thing I ate already, so I can keep watch while she takes a break."_

"Kit?"

I turned to answer her... only to immediately shut my eyes tightly upon realizing the state of dress she was in. She washed herself off completely, without even a trace of dirt on her skin. She removed her previous outfit entirely, evidently holding it in the bag she had in her left hand and replaced it with some dark blue denim shorts that stretched a little past her thighs as well as a black t-shirt. However, the t-shirt was evidently a half size too small, as it really hugged her body... and showed off just how slim and fit she was, as well as how modest her bust was. She let her hair out of the ponytail it was in, setting it free. It was still pretty wet and I imagined she exhausted all that a towel could do for drying it.

"Hey... is there a laundry room here? I really don't want to leave these clothes behind... especially the jacket; it was a gift from my brother." she explained.

I took a moment to clear my head and coughed nervously.

"Yeah. You can give them to me. I'll set them to wash." I replied.

She smiled brightly at me and nodded.

"Thanks... and is all this for me?" she asked pointing to the food.  
"Yeah. I figured you'd be hungry by now and I ate while you were in the shower." I replied.

She once again gave me a bright smile, grateful for my thoughtfulness as she took a seat around the coffee table by crossing her legs.

"You really are a family man; you know how to cook don't you?" she asked.  
"Learned from my mother. Practiced here because I don't like eating fast food."

She took some of the noodles, soaked in the homemade broth and ate it... only to close her eyes in what seemed like satisfaction.

"You've **got** to give me some lessons."

My eyes kept giving her a once over against my will and upon looking at the bundle of clothes in my hands... I noticed that her dark red bra was hanging out a little. That could only mean that...

"I-I-I'll be right back."

I quickly excused myself before my face became any redder than it obviously was.

**...**

**45 Minutes Later- The Student Lounge**

_"So they've **still** got you trapped there... Shit. That's not good."_  
"Hopefully it won't be too much longer." I explained.  
_"Leon and I can come and get you two. He's already managed to solve the mechanism to the underground passage."  
_"No. I'm not risking you two getting surrounded by those things. Kit and I will make it back on our own." I retorted._  
_

I finished attaching the photos and files to the email before sending it off to the address that Yanni just provided me.

"You guys should be getting the files any minute now." I said.  
_"Yeah. We just did... we'll take a look at it. But for now, you two should get some rest. If the shutters are solid and there's no other way into that room, you should be safe for a while." _mused Marvin.  
"...It feels wrong to do that when you three are over there in danger."  
_"The place is pretty well barricaded. I managed to add some more to all the entrances to the place and Leon and I are doing regular checks for any more of them that may have wandered inside... we'll be fine Claire." _replied Yanni.

Feeling a little more relieved, I slumped back into the couch.

"Alright. Keep me posted on any changes. If we see an opening, we'll call you before we head out." I said.  
_"Will do. Leon should be back any minute now; he went to see if he could find us some food."_  
"Make sure you boil the water thoroughly. Kit and I were talking about the ways in which this thing spreads and I'm pretty sure the water may have been a viable vector."  
_"Yeah. I'm not from around here so I didn't end up spending much time in the city. Really only came to visit a friend of mine... who is likely dead."  
_"Sorry to hear that... but we'll get through this."  
_"Thanks. Keep us in the loop."_

I hung up the radio and sighed deeply before turning to Kit, who was looking through the window, his eyes still pasted on the crowd of zombies at the entrance.

"Any changes?" I asked.  
"Not at all. A few have gone off, but it's still at least fifty of them. Still too risky to try anything." he replied.  
"They managed to get the passage open, so they're waiting for us to get back so we can all get out of here." I explained.  
"Let's hope something changes soon; they're relatively safe in the foyer... but we have no idea what else is out there."

I nodded in agreement.

"Well... at least we're relatively safe here. They haven't even tried getting in here." I mused in an attempt to lighten the mood.  
"You got some rest too, which is good."

I let out a heavy breath as Kit took a seat next to me, taking a gulp of the water we boiled earlier.

"So... you gonna tell me about yourself?" I asked.  
"What would you like to know?"

I cleared my throat and thought for a moment.

"Where are you from?"  
"Born in New York, but raised in Vietnam." he replied.  
"But you don't have much of an accent..."  
"I moved back to New York when I was 16 and I've been in school here since."

I nodded in comprehension.

"What about you?" he asked.  
"It's been Chris and I since we were teenagers because our parents died, my mother of tuberculosis and my father in the line of duty because he was a marine."  
"You two must be close then."

I laughed softly and nodded.

"He'd be very mad at me for being here right now... but it's been a while since I've heard from him. I needed to know he was okay and he's damned near impossible to contact." I continued.  
"Did you find him?"  
"Marvin told me that he went to Europe for vacation. So he's not here."  
"...Came all this way for nothing huh?"

I took a look at him as he took another gulp of water. It was then that I noticed... that he was actually quite handsome. From what I could tell, he kept himself in good shape though I had no idea how he did it; his arms weren't large but he showed that he did some kind of sport to keep them toned. He threw away his old clothes, which was a thick blue sweater and some torn up jeans. Now that I thought about it, he was already blood-soaked by the time I met him... so it made sense that he followed his own advice to me. He was now wearing a black leather jacket with a navy blue t-shirt that was just a little loose for him, along with black cargo pants and what appeared to be a pair of blue running shoes. He washed out his dark brown hair and didn't bother to fix it up, instead allowing it to remain natural despite being a little wet. He clearly showed his Vietnamese descent with his narrowed eyes and slightly rounder face. His skin was a very light brown, indicating that he indeed wasn't completely Vietnamese.

Overall... he was a really handsome guy.

"...Guess so." I replied.  
"So you're following in his footsteps I take it? Training to become a cop?" he asked.  
"Not quite... he taught me how to do all of that stuff, but I'm more of a bike junkie." I replied.  
"Are you? Do you have one of your own?"

I sighed deeply, now remembering that I left my motorcycle behind when I escaped the convenience store with Leon.

"...Well, it kind of got left behind at the gas station outside of town."  
"...That sucks."

I nodded vigorously as I noticed him reach for one of the guns on the table.

"I didn't think I'd ever have to use one of these things... let alone against mutated people."  
"Not sure how to shoot one are you?" I asked.  
"Nowhere near as accurately as you can." he replied.

He shook his head, prompting me to get to my feet.

"Come here. I'll give you a lesson." I suggested.

He wordlessly obeyed me as I took up my own gun. I showed him the stance he should take, as well as how to hold the gun properly. He picked up rather quickly, causing me to smile instinctively as I remembered the time Chris taught me all of this. After a few minutes, I clapped excitedly for him.

"Congratulations, you're a baddass." I joked.

He laughed softly before taking a seat on the couch.

"...I'm **really** glad I met you Claire Redfield." he mused.  
"Likewise... Kit Matthews."

I sat next to him and even though it felt a little weird, I scooted close to him, suddenly feeling a little tired. He didn't object, his watchful eyes checking me for any signs of what I presumed to be fatigue.

"Are you alright? Feeling sick?" he asked.

I shook my head and smiled, before lowering my head to his shoulder.

"...Does this make you uncomfortable?" I asked.  
"Not at all."

His words came out a little too quickly, indicating that he was pretty nervous but he chose to allow me to feel comfortable rather than to be selfish. Now understanding how nice of a man he really was, I eased myself into a comfortable position.

"...I'll take that nap now, if you don't mind." I groaned.  
"I'll keep watch. And I'll wake you up if anyone calls... do you want me to-"  
"No... I don't want you to give me space... it's comforting to know that you're right next to me."

He let out a breath and much to my surprise, he gently placed one of his hands over mine and held it loosely.

"Get some rest... you've more than earned it."


	3. Chapter 2: Relentless Force

**(A/N): It's been interesting trying to retell the events of a game. I gave it a try with The Walking Dead once or twice in the past, but this is something entirely new. I guess it's because Resident Evil 2 holds a special place in my heart, because the original was the first horror game I ever played and it was also the first horror game to scare the ever living hell out of me. The remake did the same thing, but it made me get a new appreciation for the characters, especially for Claire and Leon. I always wanted to see more of Claire, because I think that Capcom's needed flesh out the relationships between all the characters more. Especially Claire and Leon, because everything that happened between them didn't really add up to explain how they were such good friends by the time of Degeneration.**

**Eh. One can only hope. Since Capcom just entered a Golden Age thanks to Devil May Cry 5 and Resident Evil 2 Remake, maybe they'll reboot the other games as well and hopefully, give us more Claire.**

**Anyway, enough rambling. I apologize to anyone who was rooting for Cleon in this story, but like I said before: I'll be sure to deliver on something for all of you guys.**

* * *

**Stranded Deep**

**Chapter Two: Relentless Force**

**~ o ~**

**One Hour Later- Inside The RPD, Parking Garage**

_"How's it looking over there?"  
_"Nothing too bad. What about you?"_  
"Marvin's sleeping; the painkillers seemed to have finally kicked in."  
_"Good. Keep an eye on him and don't go anywhere. I'll be back soon."_  
"Alright Leon. Stay sharp."  
_"Will do. Any word from Claire and Kit?"  
_"Still no change. They're safe inside the building."  
_"Maybe we can do something about that situation when I get back... alright. I'm moving on. I'll call if anything comes up."_  
_

I placed the radio back into my belt and made my way towards the ladder, which I presumed was the one that took me to the parking garage. After a bit of climbing, I had to exert a bit of effort to lift the manhole cover. Carefully, I looked around for anything that would be out to kill me and once the coast was clear, I hoisted myself out. I looked around, feeling very paranoid considering all of the things I've seen since the night began. I continued forward and found a fuse box, which I was sure was used to open the shutters. However... just like so many other things here, it required something to get through, in this case a keycard.

"Damn... need a keycard." I grumbled.

As soon as I said that however, as if it were on cue... I heard growling. I turned around slowly, only to see that one of those mutated dogs had somehow found a way inside of here... and it was sizing me up to be its next victim.

"...You gotta be kidding me." I groaned.

I didn't even get a chance to reach for my gun before it charged at me. I just barely managed to get my arms up as it tackled me to the ground, the impact causing my weapon to fall out of the holster and slide a small distance away. I frantically struggled to keep the monster at bay, using my hands to hold its neck back. However, I knew it was only a matter of time before I got tired... and unlike me, it doesn't exactly feel exhaustion considering it's dead. I tried to get one of my hands on my gun... but it was just out of reach. Knowing that there was no way I was going to get out of this without getting bitten or worse... I could only keep it away for a short while longer until things would finally come to an end.

_"No... I can't die here... I have people who are counting on me. Kit, Yanni, Marvin... **Claire**."_

**BANG!**

The deafening sound of a gunshot filled the air and the next thing I knew, the dog fell limp next to me, a good chunk of its throat blown out and now bleeding profusely.

"Hey."

An unfamiliar female voice called out to me and I nervously looked over in the direction of it. Her footsteps grew louder and I still couldn't see exactly what she looked like due to how dark it was.

"Who is that?" I called out.  
"Stay sharp!" she snapped.

I looked to my left to see that the dog wasn't entirely dead and I quickly grabbed my pistol before putting another bullet into its head. My heart still pounding against my chest, I turned back to the woman who I was just now aware was armed and potentially a danger. I raised my gun out of instinct as she approached me and as she stepped into the light, she too had her gun fixated on me.

"Lower it."

Her voice was firm, but I could tell that she wasn't being hostile to me; she just wanted some answers. She then flashed a badge, indicating that she was a member of the FBI. Realizing that I had just raised my weapon to someone of a far higher status than me, I immediately dropped my gun and bowed my head respectfully.

"Sorry... thank you-" I began.

She pointed her gun to my left and fired, shooting the dog one last time and assuredly, finishing it off.

"For your help." I said, feeling bewildered at her accuracy as well as how observant she was.

She paused for a moment, giving me a chance to get a good look at her.

She was wearing some sunglasses which hid her eyes from view and she had short black hair which was about half way down to her neck on all sides. She was clearly of Asian descent and I could see a choker around her neck. She wore a light brown coat that was buttoned up all the way with what I presumed to be an a plaid scarf underneath. She wore black gloves and from what I could see, she was only wearing leggings along with her high heels.

_"...She's actually **really** attractive."_

"Surprised you made it this far." she said.

She started to walk off, giving me the chance to get to my feet.

"FBI, huh? What's going on here?" I asked.  
"Sorry, that information's classified." she retorted.

She continued to walk away and for some reason, I felt concerned about her. Though she clearly proved she could handle herself, the odds just weren't in any favor of ours. God knows what other monsters were out there... and considering that she was alone, it would only be a matter of time before even someone as skilled as her gets overwhelmed.

"Where are you going?" I asked.

She turned back to face me and her tightened face indicated that she was a little irritated, no doubt due to my game of twenty questions.

"Do yourself a favor: stop asking questions and get the hell out of here." she commanded.

She continued forward and even though I felt I needed to obey her, I still wanted to know what was going on and of everyone I've seen so far, she was undoubtedly the one who would know the most. She headed through a door and I immediately ran after her.

"Hey! I'm not done talking to you!" I called.

I opened the door she just went through... and much to my surprise, she was gone. I continued through the hallway... and noticed that I was now in the jail area. As I made my way forward, I heard the growls and groans of zombies that were locked in the cells and once I got to the end, I noticed that there was someone inside of the cell: a man.

"Hello?" he called, evidently hearing my footsteps.

I approached the cell, happy to see someone else alive.

"Hey." I began.  
"I don't believe it. A real human."

The man got up and approached the cell door, his cigarette still in his hand.

"Hello human." he said.

Chuckling softly to myself, I nodded.

"How long have you been down here?" I asked.  
"Long enough... are we the last ones alive?"  
"No, no. There's a few of us..."

The man sighed softly in relief.

"Oh... that's good news, I guess."

I smiled, until I noticed his face begin to sour.

"That's unless of course, Irons sent you."

The name immediately rang a bell: it was the name of the chief of the department, Brian Irons.

"Irons? You mean Chief Irons? Is he still around?" I asked.

The man's face continued to sour.

"Who cares. Hopefully he's somebody's dinner by now." he growled.  
"What do you mean by that?" I inquired.  
"He's the bastard that locked me in here!" replied the man.

I raised an eyebrow, now beginning to realize that this guy probably wasn't as innocent as he was making himself out to be.

"I'm sure he had a good reason." I mused.  
"He did."

He took one last puff of his cigarette before tossing it to the ground and outing it.

"I was about to blow the whistle on his dirty ass." he explained.

He then sighed softly, as if pausing in retrospect.

"I'd have done the same thing too I guess." he mumbled.

We were broken from our conversation by the sound of a gate opening. The man looked significantly more nervous and let out rapid breaths.

"Hey! I'll make you a deal..."

He held up his necklace, which contained a keycard... likely the very same one that I'd need to open the shutters in the parking garage.

"Unlock this cell and I'll give you this. There's no other way out of that parking garage! Believe me!" he cried.

Feeling the call of duty take over, especially since this guy continued to prove himself to be untrustworthy, I shook my head.

"Sorry... I can't do that. I have to talk to the chief first." I said.

I felt terrible leaving him in there... especially since there were so many monsters outside and him being trapped in there couldn't possibly help, but I had no idea who I'd be letting out. He certainly didn't seem like a bad person... but he was about to "blow the whistle" on Chief Irons? What did that mean?"

The gate creaking grew even louder and it actually made my heart rate double as I turned to the end of the hallway. It couldn't possibly be any of the zombies I just walked past in their cells... and without much power getting anywhere, no one could've released the cells to let them out. No... there had to be something else out there. And whatever it was, it had to be smart to open gates...

"Look, we're both prisoners in this station... so either we play nice and help each other out-"

The man turned as we both heard rocks beginning to crumble from somewhere. His face became fearful.

"Shit... it's coming." he gasped.  
"What- what's coming?" I snapped.  
"C'mon- c'mon, don't be an asshole...OK?! You need this!" he cried as he held up the keycard.

He backed up to the brick wall behind him.

"**JUST GET ME THE FUCK OUTTA HERE!**" he bellowed.

As soon as those words left his mouth, the bricks blew apart and I saw a large, black-gloved hand reach out and grab the man's head. I raised my weapon, but I had no idea what to do because I couldn't see the monster that was holding onto him. It then raised him into the air, tearing through the bricks as if they were paper. The man began to scream in horror... and I cursed under my breath because there was nothing I could do to help him. After a few seconds, the hand completely crushed the man's skull it before dropping him to the ground. I felt a shiver go down my spine I shook my head vigorously.

"Oh my god..."

More footsteps broke me out of my panic and I immediately raised my gun towards the sound.

"Who is that?" I snapped.

The footsteps became clearer... and it was the familiar sound of high heels.

"It's just me, so you can put that thing away."

It was the same woman who just saved my life in the garage. I lowered my gun as the woman walked past me and looked into the cell.

"I don't even know what happened- It just... happened so quick." I stuttered.

She examined the man's corpse for a moment before turning back to me, looking quite irritated.

"I told you to get out of here. You wouldn't want to end up like Ben... would you?" she snapped.  
"You knew him?" I asked.

She paused for a moment, seeming to gather her thoughts.

"He was an informant. Had information of use to my investigation." she explained.  
"So what he said was true?" I inquired.

The woman turned away and began walking away again, causing me to get genuinely angry.

"Hey, you can't keep walking away from me!" I snapped.

I tried to grab her arm, but she immediately recoiled, giving me a questioning look.

"I don't even know your name!" I growled.

I took a second to calm down, because the last thing I wanted to do was seem hostile towards her... especially since she was probably my only chance at figuring out what the hell was going on in this city.

"I'm Leon Kennedy." I said.

She was quiet for a few moments, looking at me as if she were trying to justify her next sentence. She then nodded slightly.

"Find a way out Leon... before it's too late... _**then**_ we'll talk." she said.

She started walking away again, but she barely took six steps before she spoke again.

"Name's Ada." she announced.

* * *

**Meanwhile- Raccoon City College, Student Lounge**

"**Really**? Not even once?" asked Claire.

I shrugged and sighed.

"One or two dates in the past. That's about it." I replied.  
"Sheesh... I don't get it. How can someone as nice as you have trouble meeting women?" she chuckled.  
"I've been dedicated to my work. That and I guess I just haven't really taken the time to focus on such things... what about you? Any lucky guys in your life?" I asked.

She shook her head, stretching her arms and sighing.

"As you can imagine, my brother's a pretty scary guy... a lot of the guys who've had an interest kind of turn tail when they meet Chris." she explained.  
"From what I understand, your brother's a nice guy... just a bit protective." I mused.  
"He's also a really good judge of character. Most of the guys that went after me didn't really want something meaningful... just short term." she continued.

I shook my head in disappointment and sighed deeply.

"Well, if it means anything, I think you're worth the risk."

She eyed me and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh my... are you trying to woo me Dr. Matthews?" she teased.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head.

"As if I'd do something like that in the situation at hand." I retorted.

She laughed loudly, and for some reason I couldn't help but join her. The last two hours seemed to go by in a flash thanks to Claire and her uncanny ability to keep positive. We learned a lot about each other, and now I fully understood what her purpose here was. I ended up revealing just about everything she asked me about, including my family.

I was the middle child of three, with my older sister Nia and my younger sister Mili. I used to live with my mother, Hana in New York until I managed to get a scholarship to go to Raccoon City College, where I was going to finish my degree before moving onto neurology, which was my true goal. My father, Garth, was away serving in the Marine Corps in Afghanistan. Claire even managed to go deeper, getting me to talk about my personal life... which wasn't really all that much.

Wake up, go to class, study, go back to my room, study some more before going to sleep. In fact... I was rather thankful that I decided to break the cycle by taking a break from the work, staying with my cousin since August and only really going to school if I absolutely had to seeing as I was able to do most of my classes that semester online. Maybe it was that sole act... that saved me from becoming one of those monsters. She asked me about my hobbies, to which I responded with my passion for playing the guitar and martial arts.

_"...I'm happy that I met her. There's no way I would've been able to keep my cool so far if it wasn't for her."_

"I dunno Kit... I mean, you're really handsome and from all you've told me, you're not by any means an asshole." she continued to tease.  
"Is this your way of daring me to ask you out?" I asked.

She then gave me a half-serious, half-scared look.

"...Maybe."

It was then that I saw something in her eyes... something that I was amazed I didn't see more of before: **fear**.

She wanted to be happy, she wanted to crack jokes and she wanted to act like just a regular person despite all of this... because it was her way of coping with all of this. It made sense considering how she reacted to Leon when she was reunited with him at the station... and after all of what she's told me about her life with her brother and what her friends were like, she really was just an innocent girl. She came looking for her brother... having absolutely no expectation to have to be fighting to stay alive upon reaching her destination. I'm positive she was expecting a vacation, perhaps visiting some of the tourist locations here in Raccoon City, or more importantly... just being able to spend time with Chris.

She needed support... she needed affection... and most importantly, she needed **assurance**. Knowing that she was acting out of desperation to keep herself grounded, I placed a hand on hers and nodded.

"...Let's get through all of this first. Then we'll worry about our plans. Okay?" I inferred.

Much to my surprise, she scooted near me and lowered her head to my neck, her breath now running across the nape. She was trembling slightly and I took the chance to offer my lap to her if she needed comfort. She accepted, climbing into my lap and throwing her arms around me as she tried to calm down. I soothed her as best I could, stroking the back of her head with one of my hands while holding one of her hands with the other. She swallowed hard and even after a few seconds, she still couldn't breathe properly.

"...I'm... _**terrified**_." she whispered.  
"I'd be amazed if you weren't after all of this."

She took in a breath and I took this as my cue to be silent and let her pour everything out.

"I... I don't know how things are going to turn out. All my life, I've lived knowing that things were going to work themselves out... and now? I'm scared to even close my eyes for a minute because I have no idea if I'm going to be able to open them again." she said.  
"I know... it's difficult to process."  
"How do you do it Kit? How can you stay so calm?"

I shook my head, my thoughts lingering on my family back home in New York as well as everyone else in my life who were important to me.

"I won't compare our feelings, but I'm terrified too Claire... it was difficult to bring myself to sit and eat a meal knowing that the others are at the station, depending on us to get back so we can make a plan of escape..."

I took a deep breath.

"But then I think about all the people that are counting on me... my family, the others back at the station... **_you_**. It gives me strength and courage and I know that even if things go south... I'm going to do _**everything**_ I can all the way to the end. I'm not giving up."

My grip on her hand tightened.

"If you ever need someone to fall back on Claire... I'm right here. It may not mean much from a guy you met a few hours ago... but I've got your back." I said.

She responded to my words by tightening her hold around me and it was then that I was aware that she was sobbing quietly.

"I'm _**so**_ sorry... I shouldn't have thought about doing this... I dragged you along and I-"  
"No Claire. Don't blame yourself. It's not your fault... I **chose** to come with you because I wanted to make sure you were safe. I have no regrets about my decision... get that through your head. Alright?"

It was then that I realized the reason she was so emotional all of a sudden: **survivor's guilt**. She had already witnessed an officer get eaten alive when she just arrived here... and she froze instead of helping him. I wasn't with her during all the time she's been in the city, but I couldn't imagine her seeing much better.

She told me about a time when she had to outrun several of the mutated dogs… and she witnessed them feasting on a corpse just before the chase happened. Apparently, the person was still alive somehow…

Then she told me how she had to put the officer down... the same person we came all of this way to save. It had to have been hard for her; it's one thing to kill one of these things, but to kill someone out of mercy? It had to have taken a lot of guts to do something like that... but at least he's in a better place now and isn't going to come back to life and try to kill anyone else. Post traumatic stress disorder was not something that just anyone could bear... let alone someone as innocent and nice as she was.

But the biggest evidence of it was the way she looked at Marvin when she arrived to the station. The wound that he had on his left flank was a deep one, and even though Yanni and Leon probably found a way to seal it and prevent anymore bleeding… it was **very** likely that he was infected. I still had no idea how long it would take for someone to succumb and then turn, but judging from how this incident began and all of the medical stories I read online… it would likely take about a day, perhaps up to four for someone to turn, depending on their immune system of course.

I could tell that she was a person who absolutely despised being helpless, and the only thing she hated more than that was being powerless to help someone else. The guilt she felt for not immediately springing into action when she met that cop at the store… the blame she placed on herself for not being fast enough to get to the man the dogs devoured… all of it was beginning to add up. She believed that of all people, the ones who were equipped and well trained should be the ones staying alive, not **her**.

It wasn't exactly the true definition of survivor's guilt… but I had already determined that Claire Redfield was a gentle and kind soul, and witnessing someone die was something that must have weighed heavily on her conscience. She likely felt the same kind of guilt with each zombie that she put down, because at some point… they were human just like we were. Then there was the pressure of helping the ones that were still alive.

Every waking minute, she likely thought of a way that something could go wrong… that she would have to see the same thing happen to Yanni, Leon… or even **me**...

That feeling of helplessness... the crushing despair that she may be powerless to help someone again was what brought this sudden surge of emotions on. I had witnessed it too... but I was already experienced at handling my emotions. I had handled emotional abuse from my father as well as a great deal of my family because a lot of them hated my pacifistic nature. I had already endured numerous family deaths... and I even had to watch several patients die at the hospital, knowing there was nothing I could do to help them.

_"I'm not going to let anything happen to her... I'll protect her as best I can, even though I know she's capable of far more than I."_

Now, there was someone here who needed support... needed someone to help her steel herself for the coming horrors.

It took her a few moments to acknowledge my words, but she nodded against my neck. I pulled her closer, my hands now encircling her lower back as I turned and did what I usually did to my little sister to calm her down from her nightmares: I kissed her forehead. Even though she's proven herself capable, even though she's the younger sister of a military veteran... she was still just a young woman. She didn't have the stomach to stand all of this stuff... and she needed someone to be her rock.

So that's exactly what I resolved to be. I didn't even get to turn away before I felt one of her hands on my cheek. My eyes locked with hers and even though I was nervous... her gaze somehow managed to defuse most of it. As if she were encouraging me to relax and not feel like I'm taking advantage of her. She leaned up and kissed my cheek before giving me a grateful smile.

"...Thank you." she whispered.  
"You're welcome."

She didn't move away from me, but instead put her head back on my neck and sighed.

"...You don't think I'm weird do you?" she asked.

"Not at all. You've been bottling all of this up all night and you needed to let it out. There's nothing wrong with that." I explained.  
"No... the fact that we've only known each other a few hours and yet, I trust you this much... to tell you about my family and all of that stuff." she corrected.  
"I did the same thing... and that's not something I've ever done before. So maybe I needed this just as much as you did."

She nodded and sighed.

"...I can't thank you enough for coming with me Kit... there's no way I'd have been able to get through this alone." she said.  
"What kind of friend would I be if I let you run off into danger without any help?"

She laughed and nodded.

"Friends?" she asked.

I nodded and smiled.

"Friends."

* * *

**One Hour Later- Inside The RPD, Parking Garage**

_"Finally got the last of the circuits for the breaker at Ben's cell... now I can get the keycard!"_

I dialed Yanni's frequency... but there was no answer.

"Yanni? Yanni come in." I ushered.

Nothing but static... I cursed under my breath. I then dialed it to Claire's frequency.

"Claire. Can you hear me?" I called.  
_"Loud and clear Leon. Any progress?"_  
"I managed to find a way through the parking garage. I'm heading there to open the shutters now." I explained.  
_"Good... what about that monster you told me about earlier? Any other sign of it?"  
_"I just managed to escape it when I got back to the lobby. Be careful Claire... I think it might be hunting all of us. And I've tried to take that thing down... _**nothing**_ works. If you see it, you run. Do not engage." I replied.  
_"Noted... how're Yanni and Marvin?"  
_"Lost radio contact with both of them... so I'm not sure. I'm heading back to check on them once I get the shutters open." I explained.  
_"Alright. Kit and I are getting ready to head out. There were some gunshots outside that drew the zombies away from the entrance. We'll be at the station in a little while."_

I sighed deeply and smiled to myself.

"That's good... get here quickly. We'll head out together." I urged.  
_"Got it. I'll call you when we're there."_

I put the radio back into my belt as I finally arrived at Ben's cell. The growls of the zombies in the other cells unnerved me a little, but it didn't stop me from finishing the task. After fixing the breaker, all of the cell doors opened up. Knowing that I didn't have a lot of time, I grabbed the keycard from Ben's body... but then I noticed something in his jacket.

"...Huh?"

There was a tape recorder in his jacket. Curious, I took it up and played the message.

_...But that doesn't explain the rumors about the orphanage. I-I just find it way too coincidental that Umbrella's one of the benefactors._

That was clearly Ben's voice.

_You told me this interview was about the new scholarship Umbrella set up._

There was a voice I had never heard before... and it belonged to a woman. Perhaps someone important in Umbrella's ranks?

_Come on Annette. Nobody cares about that. They wanna know about the G-Virus, and the-  
Where did you hear about this?  
-And that big fucking sinkhole in the city which, by the way, rumor has it goes straight to your underground lab._

"Lab?" I muttered.

_Now are you gonna talk to me or-  
This interview is over._

The recording came to a complete stop as I got to my feet. After putting the recorder into my belt, I took off towards the garage.

"What're they after?" I mused.

However, what I feared would happen finally did; the power current made it to the other cells and all of the doors were now open... and it didn't take long for the air to be filled with growls and moans.

"That's not good..."

I noticed a switch had lit up, clearly from the restored power from the breaker and I quickly pulled the switch down, causing the cell door in front of me to open. I ran through... only to run back into the giant monster again. I quickly took out a flashbang grenade, as I had discovered that it was very effective in stunning him and I pulled the pin. Once he cleared a small distance between us, I tossed it down and shut my eyes tightly. As soon as I heard the explosion, I waited a few seconds and opened my eyes to see that the monster was covering its own eyes, flailing around from the pain it must've been feeling. I shuffled past it and continued to run, dodging several zombies in my way as I made it back to the garage. However, before I could get very far, the wall broke apart... and the monster came through it.

I didn't even get a chance to raise my weapon before it grabbed me by the throat, hoisting me into the air as if I were some kind of doll. I struggled to get free... but it only tightened its grip more and more and soon, I felt my senses begin to slow down. It became difficult to stay conscious as the oxygen left my lungs... it felt as if this was truly the end as there was nothing I could do to stop it from snapping my neck.

**VROOM!**

I noticed a light had come on and I looked to my left to see that one of the SWAT vans had been turned on. It then drove straight towards the monster, causing it to drop me to free its hand to defend itself. However, the van pushed it into the wall, smashing it to pieces. I struggled to regain my breath, choking hard as I frantically got to my feet. The door to the van opened... and Ada come out.

"Ada?!" I cried.  
"This is getting old..."

She started to walk away from me.

"Saving your ass... that's **twice**." she mumbled.

I started to follow her, feeling irritated but very much grateful for her timely intervention.

"I didn't realize you were keeping score." I muttered.

She turned back to me and threw her hands up in anger.

"**Look!** This isn't a game!" she snapped.

I then heard something move behind me... and I turned around to see that the van had budged. I cursed under my breath and drew my gun.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." I gasped.

The monster wasn't dead... it not moving must've been no different from me throwing that flash grenade earlier; it was only stunned.

"_Nothing_ dies down here." growled Ada.

Suddenly, the van exploded, and I turned to see that she had pressed a detonator. She must've rigged the van with explosives in the event that the monster didn't die...

_"Jeez. She's always prepared... I better try to stay on her good side."_

She looked at me.

"I take it you have the keycard?" she asked.  
"Yeah... and this." I said taking out the recorder.

I tossed it to her and she caught it, evidently curious of what it was.

"I was hoping you could explain what's on it." I requested.

She lowered her hand and gave me a questioning look. However, her face softened and took a breath.

"Maybe... after I hear it." she said.

She placed the recorder in her pocket and nodded.

"Let's get out of here." she said.


	4. Chapter 3: Promises

**(A/N): I decided to be a little daring and add some extra stuff concerning Leon and Ada. I may or may not change the tones of other scenes as well, but for the most part, I intend to keep most of the cutscenes from the game intact, with perhaps a bit of extra dialogue and such to show that it is indeed a retelling rather than a regurgitation.**

**I hope you all don't mind the extra scenes; there wasn't all that much room to fit in more given the few scenes Ada and Leon have together, so I added where I saw fit. This may end up adding another arc much like I did with Claire and Kit, but the goal of this is to present a more organic relationship as opposed to the Leon chasing Ada like a sick puppy type of ordeal.**

**Also, for those who are asking: no, my intention last chapter was not to make Claire look weak because she's not at all that. I just found it highly unrealistic how she just powers through watching a guy get his throat torn out, fighting all the monsters and such... and she's just smiling it all off. Wanted to give her a much more realistic reaction to all of that stuff, while still preserving the light-hearted, easygoing retelling of the character.**

**Please guys, if you have thoughts you'd like to share, don't hesitate to hit the review button and let me know.**

**Sorry for the long wait for the update. Things came up and delayed me greatly.**

**Back to the action!**

* * *

**Stranded Deep**

**Chapter Three: Promises**

**~ o ~**

**Several Minutes Later- Outside The Kendo Gun Store**

I continued forward, just vaguely hearing what Ada was listening to on the recording. Once she finished, I cleared my throat.

"Is that the intel you needed?" I asked.

She shook her head and sighed.

"Unfortunately no. Ben didn't come through." she replied.

It was clear that she was irritated, because it seemed as if she gained literally nothing for her investigation at this point... and I was sure that she was deeply affected by Ben's death at the hands of that giant monster.

"Well, What exactly are you looking for?" I inquired.  
"More info on the people responsible for this mess." she replied.

I nodded in response as we continued forward. Soon, I could see a huge red sign on a building that read "Gunshop Kendo". However, what interested me more was the fact that a giant chunk of the road was missing... and looking down, I could see what appeared to be some kind of underground railroad system. However, I don't think that Raccoon City really made use of the system, considering that it was relatively new. It just sucked to think that all these people probably died to this virus that's been spreading around... and no one would ever get to make use of it all.

"...Road's out. Going through that gun shop looks like the only way." said Ada.

I nodded and followed her to the door of the shop. She tried to open it, only for the doors to not budge. I then saw her reach into her coat pocket and pull out a set of lockpicking tools. I smiled to myself.

_"She's **really** capable. Pretty sure a rookie like me is only slowing her down... yet she's saved me several times. I wonder why?"_

It didn't take her long to get the doors open and once she did, we were greeted to a completely ransacked room. Shelves were overturned and empty, papers and random garbage was strewn about the place... just like everywhere else. I didn't imagine anyone else surviving besides us, the others at the station and Claire who was on her way back with Kit. My mind hovered on them for a moment and I couldn't resist pulling the radio back out again and dialing Claire. However, it was Kit that answered this time.

_"What's going on Leon?"_  
"Where are you two? Is Claire okay?" I asked.  
_"She's fine. We're nearly at the station, shouldn't take more than about fifteen minutes. We've had to dodge a bunch of those things, but we're just fine."_

I sighed in relief as I looked up at Ada, who was examining a shelf, likely looking for ammo or something useful.

_"Leon... there's another problem. We might be in a lot of danger... not just from these monsters."  
_"What do you mean?" I asked.  
_"We were passing the main road and we noticed that there were some people... dressed in all kinds of state of the art gear and they were going around, exterminating the infected without remorse."_

I shook my head.

"That sounds like they're here to help." I retorted.  
_"That was until I tried to approach them. But before I could show myself, they got a radio call... which Claire and I listened in on."_  
"What did they say?"  
_"Kill any survivors you find. No one can know about our involvement... I think they were sent by Umbrella."_

I gasped audibly, enough to gain Ada's attention.

"What the hell?! They're trying to take out all the witnesses!" I cried.  
"Sounds like Umbrella alright."

I turned to see that Ada had joined me and was staring intently at the radio.

"Are they your friends Leon?" she asked.  
"Yeah... they just told me about some kind of squad that's going around killing the infected, but apparently have a mission to kill all the survivors they come across." I explained.

She looked visibly disturbed and she put a hand to her chin.

"Sounds like they sent one of their elite units... I heard that they already sent another team, but they were wiped out early on in the outbreak. They must've regeared and handpicked this squad. We can't run into them; we can't take them on." she explained.

I shook my head vigorously and turned back to the radio.

"Alright. You two get to the station. I lost radio contact with Yanni so if you guys can find him and Marvin, start heading through the underground passage. We'll run into each other at some point I'm sure." I instructed.  
_"Got it. Be careful Leon."  
_"You too. Don't take those bastards on if you can help it."

I placed the radio back into my belt as I looked at Ada.

"What a mess..." she sighed.  
"Yeah... you're telling me."

I shook my head, trying to process the fact that there was now a unit of elite soldiers who were on the hunt for survivors. As if the monsters weren't enough to worry about...

"We have to keep moving. If these guys are as good as your friend is describing, it's only a matter of time before they catch up to us." she said.  
"Yeah. Good point. I'm just gonna check around the back to see if there's anything we can use." I suggested.

She nodded in agreement.

"Make it quick, I'll watch the front." she replied.

I made my way towards the back, going behind the shelves as she looked to the front door. However, it didn't even take a few seconds for me hear someone breathing.

"Don't move." he said.

I didn't even get to move before the man held a shotgun to my head. I raised my hands in surrender.

"I'm not going to hurt you-"  
"I said **DON'T MOVE**!" he snapped.

Taking a deep breath and doing my best to keep my nerves, I tried to sound as calm as possible.

"I'm just passing through. I'm going to ask you to lower that weapon." I requested.  
"Like hell you are. You're gonna turn around and go right back out the way you came in." he growled.

He refused to lower the gun even an inch... but I then caught something in the corner of my eye.

_"...Oh my god... no... what the fuck..."_

The figure that was approaching... was a little girl. No older than ten years old. From what I could tell, she was extremely sickly... and it took me a few moments to realize...

_"...She's **infected**..."_

It took everything within me to remain calm; a sudden move could cause him to pull the trigger. I took a heavy breath and closed my eyes in an attempt to steel my emotions.

"I think your daughter needs help sir." I said.

He cocked the gun, sounding even angrier.

"Don't tell me how to deal with my daughter." he growled.

Ada's familiar footsteps got louder and I knew that she had her gun raised at him.

"Drop it." she ordered.

The man immediately aimed at her, giving me a chance to grab my pistol and aim at him. However, once Ada caught sight of the little girl, she pointed the gun at her. The man got in front of her.

"No! Wait!" he cried.

It was difficult for me to believe that Ada was willing to shoot a child dead... but at the same time, wouldn't that be a better fate than to turn into one of those things? I didn't even want to imagine myself in that kind of situation... because even though she was infected, she's only a child. Is it really okay to shoot a defenseless child dead?

"Step aside. We need to terminate her before she turns." said Ada.

I couldn't believe how cold and calculated she sounded with those words, as if she viewed the girl as a monster already.

"Terminate? That's my **FUCKING DAUGHTER**."

I could tell that if we continued to push him, he would likely shoot one of us... or Ada may kill them both. Seeking to avoid anymore conflict, I lowered my weapon and looked at Ada.

"Ada... just let them be."

The little girl started breathing... and it was a heart-breaking sound of half-wheezing, half-coughing. It was clear that if she was infected... it wouldn't be long before she succumbed. Ada looked at me questioningly at first but once she saw my face, she nodded slightly and lowered the gun. The girl started walking forward.

"Emma, sweetheart... I told you to stay put." said the man.

She looked at him, and it was then that I noticed that one of her eyes were light blue... just like the zombies. I felt my stomach wrench and I had to close my eyes and look away to prevent myself from thinking further.

_"Jesus Christ... what kind of sicko could make a virus that does this? Don't they know that defenseless children live here too?!"_

"D...Daddy?"

Her tone... was so weak, I felt my heart shatter. My fists automatically clenched and I had to shake my head to keep the emotions welling up within in check. The man turned back and lowered his shotgun before approaching her.

"Yeah... Emmie. Daddy's here. I'm here... Okay?" he whispered.

He hugged her close with one arm, holding the shotgun in the other. I could sense the desperation in his voice as I struggled forward, wanting to see what he would do next. Perhaps he could point us in the right direction? Maybe he could give us some ammo... or at least a place to catch our breaths. There was a short pause, before the man let out a very heavy breath.

"Those fucking things outside... look what they did to us." he cried.

He started sobbing audibly and I turned to Ada for a moment only to see that she had holstered her gun and was now watching intently. It was difficult to tell because of her sunglasses, but she looked distraught based on her inability to keep still. I guess she wasn't as cold as I thought she was.

"You're... you're a **cop**. You're supposed to know something... how did this happen?! **HUH?!**" he bellowed.

Ada's face softened, and I could tell behind the glasses that she was beginning to struggle with her own emotions, though she remained adamant in order to not lose her authoritative stance in the situation.

"She... was our little angel." he continued.

My eyes locked onto the girl... and merely seeing her like this was making me hate Umbrella more and more by the second. How could they be experimenting with viruses that do this to people? What kind of sick, twisted asshole could conceive this?

"M...M...Mommy?" she groaned.

She looked at Ada, and right then... was when I knew that Ada only had a few moments before she too would start reacting the way I was. My eyes narrowed as the feeling of helplessness began to grow. Now, I regretted even raising my gun to the man before; he was only trying to protect his daughter... and he was in an even deeper sense of despair than I was. He knew that at some point, his daughter would have to be put down... but he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He turned to her and held one of her hands with both of his.

"Mommy's sleeping honey... Okay?" he sobbed.

His voice cracked... and that was the moment I fully resolved myself to not only get out alive, but to do everything I possibly could to prevent this from happening ever again to anyone. His tone indicated that he had already killed his wife, who had likely turned earlier in this mess. The man paused for a moment and took a deep breath.

"And... I'm gonna put you to bed too... okay?... Emma?" he cried.

The girl couldn't even respond, instead she groaned, not unlike the zombies I dealt with beforehand. The man picked her up into his arms and started carrying her towards the door that she opened to come outside in the first place. After he entered the room, he turned back to face us.

"Just go... just give us some privacy... if you're just passing through... there's a small room through the fence over there. There's some ammo and a little food in there... take it and get out of here." he sobbed.

I shook my head vigorously.

"What about you?!" I cried.

The man closed his eyes and shook his head.

"...I've already lost my world. Save yourselves."

He shut the door violently behind him... and I turned to Ada, feeling anger boil within me.

"You know... it's one thing to keep the truth from me. But why _**him**_?!" I cried.

I barely got to finish my sentence... before I heard a gunshot. I flinched and stared at the door... before gritting my teeth and feeling even more rage take over.

_"He... just killed his **daughter**..."_

I turned back to Ada after a moment, and she continued to look at me, doing her best to maintain an emotionless face.

"I want to find out what's happening here. And stop whoever's behind it." I bellowed.

I pointed my finger at the door.

"Helping people like them... that's why I joined the force!" I growled.  
"Leon... you know that things aren't going to get any easier from here on out. Right?" she asked.

I nodded, and even though it was difficult to maintain my composure, I didn't back down.

"My mission is to take down Umbrella's entire operation. We may not make it out." she said sternly.  
"Whatever it takes to save this city... count me in." I said firmly.

She scanned me for a few moments, but she finally nodded and gave me a slight smile, clearly impressed at my refusal to back down. She then approached the fence.

"We'd better restock; I'm very sure that there's only going to be more of those things as we get closer." she said.  
"Good plan."

She opened it and just as the man said, there was a door to the right. I opened it to see that there was a table with several boxes of ammo, some TV dinners and a microwave. Evidently, this was a room he used to spend a lot of time in considering how many gun stocks and shells were strewn about the place. Feeling hunger begin to kick in, I reached for some of the TV dinners and turned to Ada.

"You want one?" I asked.  
"...Thanks." she replied.

I placed one inside and set the timer before turning back to her. She had already started cleaning her gun and had grabbed several boxes of ammo before laying the bullets out.

"Heard of the Umbrella Corporation?" she asked.  
"Just a name I keep seeing." I replied.

Ada nodded and shrugged.

"They're a pharmaceutical company secretly making bioweapons." she explained.

She finished brushing her pistol clean and took out her knife, before beginning to slice small grooves at the head.

_"...She **really** knows what she's doing. By doing that, it'll cause the bullets to split upon impact, doing a lot more damage to the brain if she shoots them in the head."_

"They have a virus- it turns people into indestructible monsters." she continued.  
"That explains the horrible things I've seen..." I mused.  
"That's only what we know of so far. That thing that I crashed the van into back there... I wouldn't be surprised if it was still alive. That's probably the toughest one of these things that I've seen yet." she said.  
"Yeah... I've had to deal with those dogs, those blind things with blades for nails... I guess whatever this virus thing decides to do is what we're gonna have to face." I said.

She nodded as she began to load the newly carved bullets into the empty magazines she pulled out of her coat pocket. The microwave finished and I removed the meal before setting a second one. I then brought the hot one to her, placing it next to her handiwork. She gave me a slight smile and nodded.

"Thanks." she said.  
"Least I can do after you saved my sorry ass twice."

She laughed softly and shrugged.

"You're not so bad; you've made it this far haven't you?" she retorted.

I then started to clean my own guns, especially the shotgun I had strewn on my back which I had to make extensive use of; it was the only effective weapon I had to deal with the zombies, seeing as I could blow their heads clean off. I began cleaning it with a cloth as Ada began to eat.

"Yeah... this virus did a hell of a lot more damage than anyone could've predicted. But the question is why? Why Raccoon City?" I asked.  
"That's why I'm looking for Annette Birkin... she's the one at Umbrella responsible for unleashing the virus... I'm going to bring her down." replied Ada firmly.

It took me a few minutes, but I managed to clean up the gun enough to not worry about it jamming on me. By the time I finished, the other meal was ready. I quickly took it out and started eating as Ada reached for the kettle on another table towards the back of the room.

"Coffee or tea?" she asked.  
"Coffee sounds good."

She then began to fill the kettle with water from the tap.

"There were some rumors about the virus spreading through the drinking water... HQ was saying something about that. Did you drink any?" she asked.  
"No. I haven't been here more than a day yet."

She nodded and sighed.

"Dawn's coming. We're gonna have to move. I don't think it's going to be long before the government decides to take matters into their own hands." she said.  
"How would they even know? There's no communications in this place because there's no power and all the lines are probably inoperable." I replied.  
"Trust me... they're very much aware of this. They're probably trying to figure out some bullshit to tell the press before they make their move." she retorted.

I nodded slowly and finished my meal. She then brought two steaming hot mugs. I took a deep gulp and smiled at the comforting warmth; I've been in rain for the past several hours so I was beginning to get a little cold. We drank our coffee in relative silence, until I decided to speak up.

"So... where are you from? Raised here in the US?" I asked.

She looked at me and smiled.

"No. Born and raised in China, but I moved to Washington when I was 17." she continued.  
"So how'd you end up in the FBI?" I inquired.  
"Always wanted to help keep a lid on terrorism. I ended up getting recruited when I finished my degree in law enforcement." she replied.  
"Where'd you go to school?"  
"Westpoint."

I smiled and nodded, knowing full well how reputable the college was for producing quality soldiers.

"What about you rookie?"  
"Went to the police academy and graduated at 21. I requested to be placed here in Raccoon City because I heard about all of the murders taking place in the Arklay Mountain region. Wanted to do all I could to help." I explained.

She nodded slowly and let out a deep sigh.

"This... was _**not**_ how I imagined my first day."

* * *

**Meanwhile- Warren Street, Raccoon City**

"Where are they? We've been chasing these heat signatures for nearly an hour."  
"They seem to be staying just ahead of us... but it won't be long before they arrive at the police station."  
"Good... soon they'll just be fish in a barrel. We'll get this job done quickly and then we can head home."

Loud roars broke the team from their conversation and within moments, six rifles were aimed at the oncoming monsters before they all opened fire, killing every last one of them. The gunfire dialed down after a few seconds, and five of them turned to their leader. He was dressed in state of the art body armor and armed to the teeth with all sorts of gadgets and weaponry. On the right side of his chest, the name **Exdeath** was embroidered. He cleared his throat.

"Remember our mission. Ladies and gentlemen, we are to ensure that no one gets out of this city alive; they'll be able to pin the mess on Umbrella." he explained.

He turned to the first pair in his squad.

"Jigsaw. Spectre. Continue tracking the targets, but we don't have to engage just yet; intel says that they're in contact with several other survivors. If we let them reach their destination, we can kill all of them at once." he said.  
"Yes sir."

The two masked soldiers moved ahead after reloading their rifles. The leader than turned to the remaining trio.

"Bandit. Mako. Killjoy. All three of you know why you were selected. Because not only are you among Umbrella's elite, but all three of you are also very much aware of how this virus works. It will be your job to ensure that no one in this squad gets infected, else this entire operation will go up in flames... and our lives forfeit. Understood?"  
"Understood commander."

A wicked smile found itself on Agent Exdeath's face.

"Excellent... now then. Let's get this done so we can get paid."


End file.
